30.10.19
Leicester City Council enables contactless donations for rough sleepers
People who live in Leicester can now help to get people off the streets for the night through new contactless donation points across the city.
The new scheme, named Give Leicester, is part of the Leicester homeless charter launched last year. It is a collaboration of people, organisations, practitioners and supporters, working together to tackle the homelessness in the city.
The first contactless terminals started accepting donations yesterday (29 Oct) with more locations to follow, and a view to reach 16 giving points in total.
The money will go to local night shelters thanks to BID Leicester and Leicester City Council, who are working together to introduce contactless donation points into shops, cafes and public buildings in the city centre and outside.
The partnership is also footing the bill for all transaction costs to ensure that 100% of the money donated goes directly to the shelters.
Simon Jenner, BID Leicester Director, said,
“It’s fantastic to be able to launch Give Leicester, a project that will use technology and innovation to help to improve the lives of some of the city’s most vulnerable people.”
“We know members of the public want to help rough sleepers whenever they can, and this initiative empowers them to be able to make a difference whilst being safe in the knowledge that 100% of their money will go to the Winter Night Shelter – an essential service that helps to get people off the streets as the temperatures start to drop.”
The Give Leicester donation points are small contactless machines, enabling people to make a £3 donation simply by tapping their card, eliminating the problem of wanting to help but having no change on your person.
The first six months of donations, will go towards the One Roof Winter Night Shelter, operated by local charity One Rook Leicester. The shelter focuses on the coldest and most difficult months of the year for rough sleepers, providing additional emergency accommodation and food.
City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said:
“Like other cities across the UK, Leicester is facing a growing homelessness crisis. The city council spends more than £5 million a year on preventing homelessness and getting rough sleepers off the streets, but there is much more that needs to be done.”
“Leicester people are tremendously generous and we know that they also want to help. The Give Leicester scheme will make it very easy for them to give money directly to local charities who are working with rough sleepers and get them the support they need.”